Volunteers Lifeblood of Credit Unions says Merthyr Tydfil Borough Credit Union

Tuesday 23 January 2024

In a recent interview following the 37th Volunteers’ Week in the UK, General Manager of Merthyr Tydfil Credit Union, Delyth Shearing believes volunteers have been particularly important during the past year when Covid-19 lockdown restrictions impacted on people’s finances due to unemployment, furlough or reduced hours.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of the credit union movement because they undertake a wide range of roles, from running collection points to being board members,” Delyth says. “Whether it’s providing face-to-face customer service or helping to run the credit union itself, we simply couldn’t succeed without them.

“As restrictions begin to ease across the country we want to encourage more people who may have suffered financially during lockdown to access our ethical financial services. Therefore, the need for more volunteers to help make a genuine difference to the financial wellbeing of people within their communities is greater than ever.”

According to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, in 2018/19, 19.4 million people volunteered through a group at least once a year and over 11.9 million did so at least once a month. It is estimated that the voluntary sector contributed £18.2 billion to the UK economy.

Volunteer Pat Lewis of Merthyr Tydfil knows only too well the importance of the movement after being brought up in Belfast where credit unions have a strong following.

“All of my family relied on credit unions for savings and loans because they didn’t like banks so I was brought up in this environment and it remains an important part of my life today,” Pat said. “Merthyr Tydfil Borough Credit Union is such an incredible help to people who otherwise may be excluded from financial services and I just wanted to play a role in something genuinely valued in a community.”

To find out more about becoming a volunteer contact Merthyr Tydfil Borough Credit Union on 01685 377888 or email mtbcu.org.uk